Lydgate Junior and Infant School

At Lydgate we want to inspire our children to have a lifelong love of music and encourage them to become musicians and music enthusiasts.  We achieve this through listening to a range of music and musicians and sharing the vocabulary needed to voice their opinions.

From Reception to Year 6 we use Charanga to teach a high quality, well-structured and child friendly music program. This is based on the National Curriculum and we establish cross-curricular links where appropriate.

Music is taught weekly throughout the school, beginning in Reception, and these lessons build up their knowledge and skills including listening, improvising, composing and performing. Through these lessons, the children are able to learn about a variety of artists and genres and have an opportunity to play a range of instruments.

Reception

In Reception, music is covered under the area of learning Expressive Arts and Design. Every week, the children are exposed to different genres of music, create patterns with percussion instruments and perform songs and poetry.  We want children to enjoy listening and interacting with music so we provide opportunities through a range of subject areas. 

RECEPTION - EXPRESSIVE ARTS AND DESIGN

Key Stage 1 children are taught to listen and appraise a range of songs; sing simple songs and rhymes; know how to find the pulse of a piece of music; have an early understanding of rhythm and pitch; improvise using their voices and play a range of tuned and percussion instruments. Each topic combines these skills to create a performance piece for the children to share. Over the year children will have the opportunity to perform of one of their pieces for the rest of school.

In Key Stage 2 these skills are built on. The children will listen and appraise; play games to develop a great understanding of pulse, rhythm and pitch; explore further music skills such as tempo, timbre and structure; use musical notation; play tuned instruments; improvise; compose and finally, perform in front of an audience. Again, the children will have the opportunity to perform one final of their final pieces for the rest of school. In Lower Key Stage 2 children are also given the opportunity to learn the recorder through whole class teaching. 

Performances – All children are given an opportunity to perform in classes in front of the whole school over the year at the end of every their music unit.

During Christmas, all Reception and KS1 children take part in a Christmas Production which includes singing, acting and performing in front of a large audience of parents, carers and children. In KS2, each class pick a favourite Christmas song or poem and perform with actions, instruments and props whilst singing to a large audience. We also visit local community hubs to sing Christmas songs to spread the festive cheer.

Where possible, we organise visits to enrich the curriculum.

Our music curriculum intends to engage and inspire all children to be creative, confident and able to acknowledge their musical achievements. 

Click here for the LONG TERM PLAN Cycle 1 and Cycle 2

Click here for the PROGRESSION OF SKILLS in Music

Music is formalised in the class timetable and is taught weekly usually by the class teacher. In every lesson, the sequence is established, prior knowledge recapped and key vocabulary shared. Each lesson will begin with an opportunity for the children to listen and appraise a piece of music and build a specific skill related to the unit using a range of instruments. All lessons end with a mini-performance applying the skill.

The music lessons are well resourced and these are regularly audited by the Music Lead. Instruments are timetabled through school so that all children have an opportunity to play both tuned and untuned instruments.

Singing Assembly - We also have weekly whole school Singing Assemblies which combine the teaching and singing of new songs with musical games and vocabulary.  We want to expose our children to a range of relatable songs and musical artists and provide them with a catalogue of well-known songs, influential British musicians and songs with cultural significance.

We start each year with the National Anthem to promote our national identity before we focus on a range of songs including Yellow Submarine, Let it Be and Penny Lane by The Beatles; Bear Necessities and You’ve Got a Friend in Me from classic films; Shine by Take that; Any Dream Will Do from the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat; We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions by Queen to name a few.

Celebration Assembly - We also use whole school assembly opportunities to discuss music related topics including exposure to a range of music, genres and musical artists from all over the world and from all ages.

Monitoring - Every year, the subject lead conducts pupil interviews to evaluate learning against intent.  The subject lead also observes a sample of lessons through school. Through the monitoring process, next steps are identified and shared in staff meetings. Examples of work across school are filmed and available for the subject lead to ensure progression and parity.

At the end of every unit, staff assess the children for the unit covered and the data updated every half term onto a tracker. This is accessible to all staff including the Subject Lead. Reception updates are made termly.

Lessons show a clear progression of skills and knowledge as laid out in the progression and planning document.

Pupil interviews show that the children are able to talk about their learning, use subject specific vocabulary, name key artists and discuss genres. Pupils are usually picked by the subject lead based on the assessment tracker.

Lesson observations show that staff are confident in delivering the curriculum and next steps actioned.

We also offer group music sessions through Rock Steady, a paid peripatetic music provider, for children who wish to learn how to work as a musical team. Our bands are then able to perform to their friends and families on a termly basis. 

Rocksteady is the UK’s leading provider of rock and pop lessons for primary school children and we’re proud that their fun, inclusive band lessons take place at our school. As well as teaching new musical skills through contemporary rock and pop songs, Rocksteady has a proven significant, positive impact on wellbeing, confidence and life skills. Recently they were awarded ‘Schools Wellbeing Resource of the Year’ at the Education Today awards, for their work inspiring children through music.

Lessons are open for children from Reception to Year 6 and they can choose to play either vocals, electric guitar, drums, bass, or keyboards in their very own band. All instruments are provided, and no previous experience is necessary.

Children progress through a 300-skill curriculum learning band, performance and instrument skills and work towards the official Rocksteady Ofqual-regulated, exam-free music qualification, accredited by Trinity College London.

You can sign your child up for lessons online at bit.ly/parent-info-web

If you have any questions about Rocksteady band lessons, you can call 0330 113 0330 (local rate, office hours are Mon – Thurs 8am – 8pm, Fridays 8am – 6pm).